Friday, February 19, 2010

Smile for the Camera 21st Ed. Elizabeth HIGGINS

I am excited to do this for my Grandmother Elizabeth HIGGINS HOFFMAN (HUFFMAN). Elizabeth was born in Greene Co PA on the current West Virginia border area. She wasborn 15 May 1809 and she married Henry Huffman (named changed to HOFFMAN)in Greene Co. Pa. They married on 9 April 1826. She had married a man who was raised by a stepfather, Frederick Loughman. His father dying when he was only 8 and 1/2 years old. Henry Huffman dcd 1811-2 Dec/Jan probated was a Ranger and Rev War Veteran in VA and sw Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth comes from a interesting back ground and she is our link to Pocahontus.She decendends from Richard Higgins and Mary (Yates ?) not yet proven for last name. Her parents were Joseph HIGGINS and Mary (Henderson, not verified three times yet), His parents were James HIGGINS and Sarah STOUT, his parents were Jediah HIGGINS and Hannah STOUT, his father was Jediah HIGGINS and Mary NEWBOLD, and his father was Richard and Mary. No this does not show the link to our Indian lady unless you chase a female line out. :>)

She had two lines of STOUT that linked a generation farther back than oldest one listed. Her Higgins' line was from England to Massachussetts down to New Jersey and over to Virginia and Maryland to western Virginia where Joseph lived when she was born in Greene Co. Pennsylvania.

The STOUT line is from Richard STOUT and Penalope VAN PRINCIS, his son Jonathon's wife is from James BOLLEN and Anne VAN QUILLEN.

She lived in Aleppo, Windy Gap area during the later years and may have lived there earlier. They lived on the side of a slopping hill and raised hogs, chickens and other animals. They had an orchard and sold the fruit to the local market people. (That is how I found data on family in the tax records and business records.)

She was the mother of 14 known children. Though the last two did not live more than five years if that long. She was very close to her daughter Phebe Ann Neal, and the letters retained by Phebe in Iowa have been passed down in the family. Her sons served in the Civil War except Hague (Hagan) n some papers. He was west and digging gold when all this happened. He came back to IOWA and re-established his life becoming a doctor. The family needed this help, with all his brothers and brother in laws at war.

Having retained data from her son (Sanford) whom worked as lay minister in the war and later in Iowa, He also left Pennsylvania and went to be near Hague. Soon Phebe followed because Mr. Neal was in bad shape from the war. Elizabeth had already lost a son from the War when Phebe left. Laton came from the war home went, out west to settle himself in Kansas, stopped in Iowa and then sold the land in KS and bought in IA, went home at Christmas and the day after went out to saddle horse and go see his girlfriend, and had a heart attack and died saddling the horse.It was his hope to marry he and move to Iowa with Hague and Sanford. He is buried in Windy Gap Cemetery with other family members where later Henry and Elizabeth are buried.

Windy Gap Cemetery is a pretty place on the side of a sloping hill in the mountains just southwest of where they had their home. The church sets on a knoll on the other side of road up the other hill side. You can look out and see West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvnia in a panoramic movement. The clouds move along and create an beautiful place of peace and comfort.

She worked hard and was a good mother. Her children all spoke well of her. Some of her children endured horrid events in their early married lives making them widows and in need of family support which Elizabeth and Henry gave mostly freely to them all.

Mary her oldest child had many major financial hardships even with siblings helping. One son's home burned down, (I Have seen what was left of home when in PA). As stated, Hague was west and became a Dr he came home about every 18 months or so after the war when he could. Catherine lost her husband and remarried. Elizabeth was born 1837 died 1839. Martha mar Jacob GALLENTINE and he went to War and was not seen again, remarrying later and dying soon after. Laton as stated died 26 Dec 1871 at his parents home, Lucy mar Uriah Spragg. Phebe married Mr Thomas Neal and later moved to IOWA, ( her line later moves to CALIFORNIA to Oakland area and decendants now in Chico, CA, Margaret(Maggie) marries Thomas Evans who was a member of the school parents and was hit in head by boulder ie rock on way home from meeting because person did not like vote by him. He spent days in agony, screaming until death took him home. Mason was born 1849 May 2 died 2 Dec !849, Henry was born prior to 1850 census and died prior to 1860 census.

The letters talk of her feeding the pigs and cleaning the sty and picking fruit and making clothes. Later years the letters written by Henry say she was mostly a bed with much discomfort from ? Arthritis, badly aching joints. Yet there would be times she could get up and cook and set on the porch and rock and watch Henry tend the crops and the animals.

Most of her family lived close so the could swing by that had stayed in Pennsylvania.

Having learned all this about this Grandmother I can say I admire all she did and endured. I was equally thrilled when in doing research for someone else I found the link to Pocahantus for my Granddad had always said his Grandfather told him we were related to her but he never could figure out how. Grandad was Cecil Lee Hoffman and his Grandfather was Sanford Hoffman served in war as Huffman. (that is another story)

I counted she had almost 45 grandchildren if they had all been home at once there would not have been room for them to move.

4 children died young or did not marry Some of her children were marrying when her older children were having grandchildren due to age differences from Mary born 1827 to Henry born around 1850. http://susischattyperformances.blogspot.com/2010/02/wordless-wednesday-henry-and-elizabeth.htmlHer picture is here with Henry in early years.